From: Kawada FHI-BERLIN MPG DE> Date: 14 apr 1994 Subject: Takotsubo A new game "Takotsubo" was introduced in "Shogi Sekai". The rule is read as follows. board --- 6x6 checkered pattern board. pieces --- 1 king and 6 soldiers in each player initial set-up --- See followings. S S K S S S S S' S' S' S' K' S' S' K is king, S is soldier of white. K' and S' are those of black. Every piece sits on hatched spuare on the checkered patterned board. No piece sits on unhatched square throughout the game. 1a and 6f where King sits are palaces. The aim of this game is to capture the opponent king or to move either of your pieces into opponent's palace. The movement of pieces is similar to checker. Any piece can move forward diagonally by one step. You can take an opponent piece by jumping over it. You can jump successively and take more pieces in your turn, as the same way in "checker". If you have possible moves to take opponent piece in your turn, you must take it. So if an opponent piece is in front of your king sitting in your palace and if you have no other possible move to take an opponent piece, your king must jump over it and he must get out of the palace! Once a piece (including King) reached at the far-most rank, it must promote. A promoted piece can move backward diagonally by one step or can jump backward over opponent piece. But once a piece promotes, his turn immediately finishes and it becomes opponent's turn. No more moves in your turn after the promotion. It is not clearly mentioned if a piece can jump over his own side piece. But I guess it is allowed. If something I misunderstood in the rule, please correct it. Mr. Kohei Azuma created recently this game to spread Shogi-like game among ladies and kids. This game looks quite easy, and ends in short time. But no one, even among professional Shogi players, has found sure way to win this game. If somebody are interested in and find me in the Shogi tournament, let's play it. Hiroki Kawada * "After being defeated, Abt. GR, Fritz-Haber-Institut * valuable time starts." der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, * Yonenaga, the Meijin Faradayweg 4-6, Dahlem, * 14195 Berlin Deutschland * "In Shogi, there is no situation E-mail adress: * that promises my win." kawada fhi-berlin mpg de * Ohyama, the permanent Meijin XV